Driven in the short-run primarily by mobile phone handsets, the worldwide white light-emitting diode (LED) market is projected to exceed 20 billion units in 2008. Using higher light-emitting efficiency and lower pricing, an increasing number of white LEDs are being used as backlight for notebook PCs, medium and large LCD TVs, and single-color and full-color outdoor signs.

While handheld (primarily mobile phone handsets) applications are still the most-often targeted application segment, the dominance of the segment has declined significantly in the past three years. At the beginning of 2005, about 35% of all LED driver IC introductions were targeted at the handheld segment. By the end of 2007, the percentage had dropped to about 25%. While the actual number of driver ICs targeted at handheld applications has not dropped significantly, the overall market for LED driver ICs has grown.

Further growth is expected to come from automotive applications, which are expected to see increased penetration in LED headlamps, as well as LEDs in interior lighting. According to the major suppliers to this segment (Lumileds, Osram, Toyoda Gosei and Cree), the cost target of $10/kilo-lumen will be reached by 2010 for a wide range of HB-LEDs in exterior front lighting, including headlights and daytime running lights. Examples of LEDs in automotive exterior lighting applications are already growing.

While CFLs are expected to continue their dominance of the general illumination market for the foreseeable future, LEDs are continuing to gain in terms of both price and performance. Like CFLs, other lighting technologies such as incandescent and metal halide are also relatively mature and do not show much in the way of efficiency improvements over time. The report points out that relative efficiencies of the various lighting technologies are important when comparing the ﾒenergy savings payback periodﾓ for more expensive technologies such as CFL versus incandescent, or LED versus CFL.

The worldwide LED Driver IC market will continue to grow rapidly for many years. But the market will also evolve at a rapid rate. New application segments will emerge as HB- and UHB-LEDs continue to offer improvements in cost and performance. This report will quantify specific sub-segment market trends and identify specific value-added opportunities for LED Driver ICs.

Details of the new report can be found on Electronics.ca Publications' website.

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